Sly Cooper's Ultimate Decision
by TheLucky38
Summary: Sly Cooper has been sent through the time stream, unconsciously, after the battle against La Paradox. Two Time Lords, have come to see the poor soul, and made a bet. A bet that will test him to resist or to give into changing his past? More importantly, to see what his friends be like if he never existed. And if Carmelita did love him for himself, or her version of him.
1. Chapter 1

**TheLucky38: Well you all know where, or should I say when, Sly is. But what would happen if two powerful time lords, one good and one evil, made a bet about him. To see if Sly can truly allow the timeline to still the same. Or, can make it better for him, but at an ultimate price. He has no idea about the bet at all, since it all leads up to his decision.**

**I decided to make this story because I just have a few theories. Especially why Carmelita lied to Sly about being a cop. I'm pretty sure there is a pretty good reason why she did it. Could of been decision of changing him or something else. I mean if there was a cave collapsing, and she thought Sly had amnesia, it would give her the first idea right away. Usually, they would be last second ideas. And they are not always good to have. The good thing is that they didn't die in the cave in.**

**I don't own the Sly Cooper series. I wish they put the pirate ancestor in the 4th game though. Now that would of been awesome. Let's begin, shall we.**

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><p>Sly Cooper was traveling through a time vortex, unconscious, after the final battle between him and La Paradox. He had managed to save his clan, friends, and the world. But most of all, Sly has saved Carmelita Fox from the same fate that he is enduring. His only regret was never giving her an explanation for everything since the Cooper Vault collapsed in on itself. Why he faked his amnesia, why he had to go back to his old ways, and worst of all, why he lied to her.<p>

He knew that Carmelita would understand. But going back in time, even together, didn't leave any room for them to talk about it. Even if they did find time, she would still be too angry at him. Even angry enough to blast him a warning shot with her shock pistol. Sly didn't blame her though. He had hoped to explain after the time journey was over, but to no avail. Along the way, though, Sly realized that Carmelita lied to him too. Sure he faked his amnesia, but she tried convincing him that he was working as Constable Cooper. An Interpol cop. The last thing he ever wanted to be. But he did it anyway. Just to be closer to her.

The question still remains in Sly's heart. A question that has been unanswered since the Cooper Vault heist. Did Carmelita Fox love him as himself, or her own version of him? When he gets out of this crazy situation, somehow, in any possible way, he'll ask her that question. When Sly does, he hopes that she'll answer him honestly. If not...

As his body travels through the vortex, two figures appeared next to him. One on the left side, and one on the right side. The one on the left was in white monk clothes, covering his body from head to toe, with bright blue eyes, looking down on the unfortunate soul. "It seems that Sly Cooper has been caught in the time stream." he said calmly. Touching Sly's neck, to feel his pulse still moving. "He's lucky to be alive after the blimp hit into the river."

The one on the right, who was in black monk clothes that also covered his body, with bright red eyes, looked at the white clothed man. "Honestly, I didn't care at first if he died. But now that we know he's alive." He puts his hand on his clothed chin, coming up with a devilish idea. "It presents an opportune moment, for the both of us, does it not?" No one could see it, but an evil smile lurks underneath his attire.

"What are you implying, brother?" asked the white clothed person.

"I'm just saying that he's been met with so many unfortunate events. Which started long ago. From his childhood to now. Maybe we should..."

"No! We not allowed to do such a thing!" Interrupted the white monked man. "Unless..."

"Exactly." The black monk said calmly. "We may be equally powerful, brother, but a bet is the only thing that can truly shift the balance."

The white clothed monk sighed, knowing he can never back down his brothers bets. Neither could his brother, of course, but he rarely makes any bets. "Alright then. What do you propose?"

The black clothed monk laughed in triumph. "It's pretty simple, actually. Since this Master Thief, who comes from a long line of thieves, is stuck in the time zone, we might as well make him decide."

"You don't mean..?"

"I do." the blank monk interrupted. "But, knowing that we can't make him choose, we have to try to convince him to. I know that you'll be against it, but I am all for it! For I do believe in justice." he said sarcastically.

"Justice for yourself! We are talking about changing history, based on Sly Cooper's decision." the white clothed monk said. Being defensive against his brother.

"I know, because it's_ just us_! That's why were going to convince him to act on it, or to leave it alone. It will be his decision in the end." He rubs his hands together, confident that he'll win in this endeavor.

The white clothed monk, although sickened by his brothers ambition, nodded his head in agreement. "Fine. What is the bet?"

"I'll gladly say it twice, if I have to." He waved his hand to the left, to show all of Sly's past. When Sly and his family were attacked by the Fiendish Five, his time at the orphanage, when he met Bentley, Murray, Carmelita, his ancestors, and the others, when they battled against the Klaww Gang, common crime bosses, and La Paradox's private army. "We're going to show Sly the important events, both historical and hypothetical, about him, his friends, his ancestors, including his _beloved_ Carmelita. We can choose where, and when, we can take him, and explain how it could, or would, of happened instead. When that's all done, he'll make his ultimate decision. Any rules on your end, brother?"

"Why do you always make me the rule guy?" sighed the white clothed monk.

"Because I hate rules! They rule everything!" He chuckled.

"Oh, ha, ha. Very funny." He said sarcastically. "The rules are that we don't tell him about the bet, until it's been decided, and we don't force him to make his ultimate decision. But we can convince him as best we can. If I win this bet, Sly Cooper will be a free man, going to where he was meant to be, and eventually saved by his friends, including his lover, Carmelita."

"How boring!" he yelled out, pointing at his brother. "Which is to be expected from you! But if I win..." He laughs a little, loving his dastardly plan. "I get to control him, and the future generations of the Cooper clan. With their abilities, and my power, I can control the world with ease. Even better than that imbecile, La Paradox, before he exposed his operations for a pointless vendetta." He raises his hands in the air, in the form of fists. "No cop, no villain, and no individual, can stand in the way of true progress! With a large quantity of chaos!"

The white clothed monk knew this was to be expected from his brother. There was no backing down now. There was no time limit, and endless opportunities to help Sly make his ultimate decision. He just hopes that it will be a decision that will not cost his freewill. He believes that all men and women are good, but have endured lots of pain and suffering in their lives. He wants them to keep moving foreword, and remember not to dwell on the unfortunate past. To not allow them to be consumed by darkness within. If they can understand others, they are wise. If they understand themselves, they are enlightened.

His brother, however, believed that all of the men and women were bad. The only way to ensure a better future is to control them all with tyranny. An iron fist that can never be cut, loosened, or even destroyed. Even by the lawful judgment of his peers. Unless he wants to cause some chaos, whenever he wanted. That power is needed to force everyone to kneel before him. That is the way of his cause, so that the future can be well assured. Well, his future. With Sly, and his abilities as a master thief, he will achieve that goal. If he wins the bet, that is.

But they both know that the neutral party will always be the one who is given that chance. The people. For they have the freedom of choice. Choices to either move on and let things happen as they were meant to be, saving the freedom that has been given to them. Or choose to discard their freedom to have whatever they desired. The only way they can make a decision is to see if they can understand the judgment, arguments, and influences around them. And todays lucky, or unlucky, person was Sly Cooper.

They two brothers nodded in agreement, and with a simple handshake, have started their wager. Both light and darkness have mixed together in a circle, with Sly in the middle of the two. Although they have done smaller bets, like deciding whether or not rain will turn into a major flood in a city, this is the biggest bet they have ever started. If history will change or stay the same. It all depends on Sly now.

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><p><strong>TheLucky38: To be honest, I might take a long time on this story. Mostly because I'm busy with all the other stories, and plus it's been awhile since I've played any of the Sly Cooper games. The only people I'll be talking about is Sly, some of his ancestors, his allies, Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita. I won't talk about some villains, Penelope, and Bob. Why Penelope and Bob? Well Bob is more of a gatherer and hunter, while Penelope is way too crazy to understand. What made her crazy, that is still unexplainable. I mean if she really thought La Paradox was under her fingertips, then she should of had a remote for the time machine. Or something like that.<strong>

**I hope you all liked it. It's a working progress for me, since it's my first Sly Cooper story that just came out in the open, in my mind. Now I just need to figure out who I should start out with. For the black clothed monk, he's a snake. I'm just telling you this now because I'm not going to have him hiss an S. That's like having him order a small sprite, a cheese burger, and a strawberry shake. I doubt that anyone wants to hear a hiss in every sentence. If you want to, use your imagination. For the other guy, I have no idea. Probably a wolf. Maybe. I need to figure out names for them too.**


	2. Chapter 2

**TheLucky38: Now it's time we see just how much Sly can endure, before making his ultimate decision. You may be wondering, what is that decision. Well if I told you now, it would only spoil the whole thing. I will say that I've finally come up with the names for the two clothed monks. Which is good for obvious reasons.**

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><p>Sly Cooper wakes up, his vision blurry as he can see two figures. He scratched the back his head, trying to remember exactly what happened. The raccoon was captured by La Paradox, when he tried to rescue Carmelita. Bentley, Murray, and his ancestors, managed to set them free. Sly told Bentley and Murray to get Carmelita out of the blimp, after that maniac, La Paradox, ripped a hole in time. Sly won the fight, but Paradox escaped with his own paraglider. Only to hit a plane on the way down. Then there was a huge explosion that knocked him out. He was lucky that he survived. Now he wasn't sure where, or when, in time he was is in. But judging by the blue, swirling vortex, it just made him completely puzzled.<p>

When Sly's vision came back to him, he saw that there were definitely two guys staring down at him. "Woah. Who are you guys, and when did monk outfits come back to everyday fashion?" He grabbed his cane from the ground, and hoisted himself back onto his feet. Sly thought that they were some kind of weird cult that found his body, and do some weird ritual that could give them his family powers.

The guy in the black monk clothes laughed very loudly. "Wow. I'm surprised he has the strength to get back up from the ground." He took off his hood, revealing himself to the confused raccoon. He was a green snake, with bright red eyes, and fangs that look like they can cut through diamonds. "My name is Augustus." He signals his brother to reveal his face as well.

The guy in the white monk clothes brings down his hood. He reveals himself to be a wolf, with bright blue eyes, looking at Sly Cooper very calmly. "My name is Aristotle."

Sly puts down his guard, and recognized the names of certain historical individuals. "You mean the Roman Emperor and Father of History? Because I doubt you look anything like them." He remembers Bentley helping him out with numerous history classes back in their school days. Although he doesn't remember it all, he does recognize those names were big back then.

"Our names are so complex that no language can easily deliver the first word. So we have taken the name of those famous historical figures, so that it'll be much easier for anyone who seeks us." Aristotle explained.

"He just loves his owls." Augustus joked. "He never fully understands that a powerful tiger, an adopted nephew of the famous Julius Caesar, managed to secure one of the largest, and most powerful civilizations in history. So much art, culture, and military prowess is what made the Roman Empire truly powerful." He was very proud of the name Augustus, as he pounds his chest with his hand.

"True. But you easily overlook the fact that Greek culture managed to take all of Rome by storm." Aristotle corrected. His brother can be arrogant sometimes.

"At least the Empire lasted almost a thousand years, two thousand to some historians! The Greeks were always divided. When they actually united, they easily divided once more" argued Augustus.

"And that other thousand years was under the Byzantine Empire, which eventually took Greek culture more to heart than the old Roman culture. They've adapted to the world, while the West fell into the dark ages. If only Justinian the 1st didn't try to reclaim Western Europe. Byzantium would of had a much stronger hold on it's country." said Aristotle.

"Well at least!.."

"Hey!" Yelled Sly, stopping the brothers from further arguing. "Leave the teaching for the teachers. I'm more interested in what's going on now. Like what am I doing here! More importantly, what do you two want from me!" Sly isn't playing around anymore. He was starting to think that he really is dead.

The two brothers immediately stopped arguing. Remembering why they have appeared to the raccoon in the first place.

"Well were here to give you a very important decision. One that will probably make you never think twice if we told you right now." explained Aristotle.

"Personally, I prefer to tell it right now, but we've decided to help you see other events before the decision." said Augustus. The sooner they hurry up, the better they can go to their final destination.

"What do you mean_ important decision_? I'm more interested on going home!" Demanded Sly.

Aristotle scratched his head. "Well. That's the thing. You can't go home. You're..."

"D-dead!" Sly yelled. Now he'll never be able to get home. At least he can look down on his friends, or up. It really depends if he managed to more good than bad in the world.

"Bwhahahahahahaaaaaa. You really are clueless!" Augustus joked, as Sly eased up and gave him a glare. "Your stuck in this time zone. Even when you get out of here, you won't be going home. You'll be somewhere else in time!" The laughter from Augustus boomed throughout Sly's mind. Realizing that he has no choice but to play their game. Augustus stopped laughing when Aristotle hits him in the back of the head. "Ouch!"

"Enough!" demanded the wolf. He looked at the troubled Sly, and calmly said. "Although we can't get you home, there is another way you can go home, like I said earlier. That decision is up to you. But first, we are going to show you some things that you have to understand, before making that decision." With that, Aristotle snaps his fingers. There were three gravestones. Sly recognizes the first two, but was horrified about the last one.

"Wait. That's impossible! How can that be me?" asked Sly.

"Maybe you did die, and are in an endless dream." Augustus said sarcastically. "Of course it's you! Just in a hypothetical timeline!"

Aristotle nods his head. "Yes. This is what could of happened to you, if Clockwork decided to kill you off as well. Which means that the Cooper line..."

"Would be gone forever." Sly said sadly. "Why bring me here?"

"It's only the opening act, Sly." said Aristotle, as he snaps his fingers again. This time, they arrive at a place called Happy Camper Orphanage.

Sly smiles at all the times that him, Bentley, and Murray have spent their childhood together. When he first arrived, there weren't a lot of people, besides them, who introduce themselves. When Sly told him about his family legacy, they've decided to put it to the test. By stealing the infamous cookie jar from the mean Ms. Puffin, who steals those cookies from other children. That goal was very successful, and could of been very rewarding. If Murray didn't eat them all. Ever since then, though, they've been like family.

Only, there was one problem. The orphanage was quiet, even beyond Ms. Puffin's standards.

"This is where you've met your friends." said Aristotle, pointing at the building that Sly grew up in. "Except in this timeline, they've never met you. Even more so, never became friends with each other."

Sly, very confused, asks Aristotle, "Bentley and Murray would of met, even without me. Right?"

Aristotle shakes his head, and snapped his fingers. Revealing the two of them in a way Sly never imagined them in. Murray was being ruthlessly attacked, while Bentley kept looking through his books. "No. Bentley was always in his room, while Murray was still being bullied by the kids. Without you, they would of never met each other at all. You always stood up for Murray, and have shown Bentley the world outside his room. Although you've experienced the hippo's pain, and the turtle got poison ivy on your hiking trip, they've always looked up to you. When you all met, you all stood up together. Like a family."

Augustus chuckled. "Now I've heard everything. A spineless hippo, and a turtle who shells himself, even in his room."

This couldn't be the same Bentley and Murray that Sly has been with. Were they? If so, then...

"If you're wondering what happens to them in that future. Then I implore you to let me say it." said Aristotle. Sly nods his head in agreement, still speechless on how his friends would turn out this way without him.

Aristotle sadly sighed. "Bentley had never talked in his life. Considering himself to be mute. So he worked the rest of his days as an artist. But since his art was considered..."

"No please. Don't say it anything else. It might sound like a Dmitri or Grizz story." Sly pleaded.

"I was about to say that it was very well designed. You see, he became a animation artist. Utilizing his computer skills to make better art, to make TV shows and anything else needing computer animation." explained Aristotle.

"Well, that doesn't sound bad at all." Sly said happily.

That's when Aristotle sighed again. "Only for it to be taken away from other people. Since he doesn't have the courage to say otherwise, he just walks away from it. Repeating to have the same thing, over and over again."

"Oh. I see." said Sly. "And Murray? I want to see if Murray is ok."

Aristotle puts his hands together, and moves them apart, opening a time screen. "Murray wasn't so lucky. After he failed to pay all his debts to a certain international loan shark in France, since he was too scared to get a job that pays well, he managed to..."

"Be in a fancy restaurant!" interrupted Augustus.

"Really? So the big guy is the main cook for the mob boss so that he would be in his debt forever?" asked Sly. Hoping that his Hippo friend managed alright in the end. He looked at the screen to see a very big plate, with a gold metal top, being dragged out in the middle of the dinner tables, by a unknown waiter. "D-did Murray prepare that?"

"You could say that he managed to help make the perfect dish." chuckled Augustus, holding back his laughter.

The waiter starts the announcement. "Hello ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. We are proud to say that you all have been the best customers, since the opening of our restaurant 4 years ago. So now, we give you a special fest!" The plate opens to reveal a very large, juicy steak. "So grab your plates, take out your knives, and dig in. It's on the house!" The entire crowd cheered, all rushing towards the steak. The waiter nodded his head towards a Penguin in a black tux. The Penguin smiles, and sends the text out. The timeline showed the text, on the bottom right corner. It said, "The Hippo has been cooked."

Sly's was shocked, his eyes wide opened, as well as his jaw, to see that his friend would end up as...as...as... " A giant Hippo... Steak!?"

The fancy restaurant disappears, by Aristotle, earning a groan from Augustus. "You could of at least shown his friend getting eaten."

Aristotle knew his brother enjoys watching other people suffer especially emotionally, his favorite. But this isn't about him, or Aristotle. It's all about Sly. How his decision could reflect on his friends and his lover. "Don't listen to my brother Sly. He has an unnatural dark sense of humor. I assure you that it's not real." He smiled when Sly looks at him, with more hope in his eyes. "Never dwell on the what if's. Just remember what is now."

"Oh please. I bet he has plenty of what if's about his parents, and Carmelita." said Augustus, waiting for his brother to hurry it up. After this lecture is over, he'll already have a card up his sleeve. He only needed just one topic to completely crush Sly into submission. A topic that Sly should hear, at least the parts that Augustus will give him. With that in mind, he just goes back into his daydream of taking the world, in the palm of his hand.

"Let me show you a future where Carmelita Fox would be, without you getting in the way." said Aristotle. He snaps his fingers. Which had them arrive on top of the Partisan Opera House. Sly defiantly remembered this place. It was the first time that he met the most sweetest, and most deadliest, woman that was always wants to arrest Sly. The only one who would go to great lengths to find him. The only woman that Sly will always has eyes for. Carmelita Fox. Oh, how he misses her. Even if she was constantly mad at him, he knew that she loved him as well.

"It's more beautiful than I remember it. The day that I fell for Carmelita Fox." he said, imagining how the two usually hit it off. Whether she would try to shoot him with a shock pistol, or when they managed to have a slow, romantic moment together. Casually talking, expression their feelings for another, and how they've managed to go through their adventures together. Their relationship is very complicated, yet very distinguished. When they meet again, Sly will explain everything to Carmelita, from his amnesia to now. Even if he has to turn himself in, just to have five minutes with her.

"Ah, young love." Interrupted Augustus. "So stupid!" he laughs uncontrollably.

Aristotle shakes his head, and puts his hand on his forehead. "Do you mind stopping your useless interruptions!"

"Oh. My bigger brother decides to get angry for once in his immortal life." He was then hit in the head. Augustus looks to see that Sly was only whistling to himself, looking the other way. "Why you..." He immediately stops, taking in a deep breath. It'll all work out in his favor in the end. So he stays quiet, waiting for his brother to continue.

"Thank you, Mr. Cooper." said Aristotle. He waves his hand, teleporting them inside the building. There lies Carmelita, being yelled at by Mr. Barkley. Sly glared at Mr. Barkley. Always demanding the best out of Inspector Fox like some machine. It's like he wants her to fail, so that he can still continue working behind a fat desk. Or worse, giving the promotion to someone who wouldn't do their job like Carmelita does.

Sensing Sly's anger, the snake begins his devious plan. "So even though that you've never encountered Mr. Barkley, you still wanted to smash his face in with that cane of yours?"

Sly grips his cane, which made the snake smile. "I'd threatened to throw him out the nearest window if he made Carmelita cry again. Sometimes, I wished I did." said the raccoon. He knew that being a thief requires a calm mind, but seeing her cry almost made him want to come out in the open. But he knew that it was wrong to do so.

"Well, then you'll hate what he would of done, if you weren't there to help." said Augustus. As if on cue, he waves his hand to show the prized possession of the entire opera house, the Diva Diamond was taken by the stage manager, Pierre, while Carmelita was on the roof. Being locked from behind, by that same man. When she got downstairs, it was already too late. Pierre made his escape by car, and was never heard from again.

This made Sly very confused. He never thought Carmelita would go to the roof if he wasn't there.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" asked Augustus, snapping his fingers to form a cigar. He in hails from it, and blows out smoke. Usually, it would of dissolved in the air, but it was still forming a cloud. "She had a feeling that some thief, which was suppose to be you, would stay on top of the roof of the opera. Sure you weren't going to take the Diva Diamond, but she still would of arrested you. But since this is a hypothetical timeline, then let me get to the point."

Augustus points at the cloud, which formed pictures. It had Carmelita, and Mr. Barkley, standing on top of the opera floor. "After she failed to protect the Diva Diamond, Mr. Barkley immediately fired her. Sending her into a state of depression, after he left the stage, she cried on the floor of the opera stage. The final act on this poor woman's career. Eventually, she found a job being a bouncer at a nightclub. Only to be sexually harassed by all the males, including new boss. Everyday she goes home crying, always remembering that awful event that has ruined her life."

Seeing Carmelita cry, even from the cigar smoke, brought a deep sadness in Sly's heart. Despite being captured himself, in the opera, if he wasn't there to help her stop Pierre from taking the Diva Diamond. Then she could of had a life of being sexually harassed. Sly would never go that far to see her. The worst part of all, he wouldn't be there to comfort her. Because he would never of met her at all. Sly didn't care if he was captured by her, because he knew that Inspector Fox was only doing her job. Much like how Sly does his job. If only Carmelita would accept who he was, then he'd feel better at night. At least when he was taken to prison, it'd be someone that he will always trust with his life.

The smoke forms again, showing Mr. Barkley. The bastard that could of ruined Carmelita's life. The last person Sly wanted to see. He used his cane to hit the smoked version of Mr. Barkey. After his figure came back, Sly immediately stops. He earned a thumbs up from Augustus. "Ironically, after Mr. Barkley's sudden outburst, he became senile the next day. Having a hard time trying to find the crooks, never finding leads to any major operations. Always being easily manipulated by all the major crime boss's of the world. Which means that he was nothing more than an pawn, the biggest weakness in all of Interpol. Even after they fired him, a few years later, the crime fighting organization never recovered. The people lost hope in them, eventually driving themselves to blow the world, sky high!" And just like that, the cloud, which formed the Earth, blew up in many directions.

Though the story was suppose to be Aristotle's, he knew that Augustus was bidding his time to make a move. He was surprised that the snake can slither anger into the story that the wolf can start up. It looks like he underestimated the power his younger brother possessed. But he knows what he's planning next. Something that could very well be Sly's worst fears.

Augustus goes up to Sly, and puts his arm over his shoulder. Still smoking the cigar, he gives a smile towards the Cooper. A devilish smile. "Have you ever wondered what Carmelita really feels about you?" he asked. When the raccoon looks up at the snake, unknowingly wrapped around his scheme. It was too easy to manipulate one such as Sly.

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><p><strong>TheLucky38: What does Augustus have planned for Sly Cooper? And what does Carmelita really feel about him? Those are questions for another time. Though the two of them have to convince Sly to make his ultimate decision. Aristotle didn't tell the snake how they can convince him. As for the Penguin, not the one from Batman, will he suffer for the crimes he's committed. Those penguins are vile creatures indeed. Bentley is right about them.<strong>

**Sly's ancestors will play a role that Sly will soon know. The best, and honest, thing that they always steal, including the other person. But that is for another time. **


End file.
